Clear-up from the Boxing Day floods continues

Businesses in Calderdale have lost £47 million so far as a result of the Boxing Day floods.

Over 1,600 businesses were affected by the deluge. The total amount of losses reported by the surveyed businesses is about £47 million, around 12% of their annual turnover on average.

Today is the cut off date that people who were affected by the Boxing Day floods can apply for funding.

Flood Resilience Grants of up to £5,000 are available to help victims install measures to prevent further flooding.

York's annual Viking Festival will begin today, despite the Jorvik centre being devastated by the boxing day floods.

Visitors from all over the world are expected at the event, which will last until this Sunday.

Canal boats which have been stranded since the Boxing Day floods have been lifted back into the water at Elland near Halifax. The barges are among 30 boats in West Yorkshire which have had to be rescued.

Work can now begin to build a footbridge to carry water, gas and electricty cables. Elland Bridge is being rebuilt after being damaged in the floods and will be shut to traffic for a year. Here's Stephanie Horton River Canal Rescue Charlie Pleydell Canal boat owner.

Work has started on installing a temporary bridge at the site of the flood damaged Elland bridge, near Halifax.

The bridge, which is addition to the pedestrian crossing point installed last month, is being moved into place using a large crane, which is also being used to lift the stranded canal boats which were displaced during the Boxing Day flooding.

This bridge will carry utilities such as water, gas, electricity cables and telecoms. The work will mean the closure of the junction of Elland Road and Park Road until about 9pm today.

This closure means there will be no access via Park Road from Brighouse on to the A629 Calderdale Way for this period. However, access to Exley and from the Calderdale Way through to Brighouse will be unaffected.

Diversion routes will be in place, and warning signs will be in position on the junctions leading to Park Road.

A second new river crossing will be opened today to help replace flood-damaged Elland bridge.

The new footbridge bridge will be in addition to the pedestrian crossing point, installed last month, and will carry utilities such as water, gas, electricity cables and telecoms.

The road bridge over the canal will be demolished and rebuilt after being damaged beyond repair in the Boxing Day floods.

The government has promised to fund the £5m cost of the new road bridge.

A river crossing to temporarily replace the collapsed bridge over the River Wharf in Tadcaster will open today.

The original road bridge was badly damaged in the aftermath of the Boxing Day flooding, cutting the North Yorkshire town in two.

The new footbridge has cost £300,000.

• MORE: £3.3 million pledged to reconstruct Tadcaster Bridge

Final preparations are being made to the new Tadcaster footbridge. It will reunite the two sides of the town after the road bridge was seriously damaged by floods.

The bridge is expected to open tomorrow.